Was waiting for this to be a Via salespitch.
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“It happened on episode 4. Like many people, I wanted to believe that on-demand in the right conditions could be a convenient, great model. Everyone loves an app based crutch and the rural unlocking stories are real. But what's missing in the conversation is the trip cost and average rider occupancy to operate Dial-a-ride, and it's shiny new cousin, third party app-based vanpooling. Years of Paratransit in all pockets of the country give every community the experience of understanding the unwieldy costs both in operator to rider ratio, and in emissions for completely deadheaded rides no better than a taxi or an Uber. We persist with paratransit, because it is right and it is necessary (and there are federal mandates). Scale it to deserving seniors, or folks who are low income or from disadvantaged communities and it still makes sense, if you really can't see how fixed route transit becomes a rural solution.
Fair enough, but the problem is that the microtransit model is promising pooling, but usually when you lift the hood, an 8 or 10 or 15 person van is carrying a single rider if you really want it to be point to point and responsive. So it's an emissions fail, and not a sustainable model to pursue in most cases. Can we electrify oversized vans with no production emissions? No, not in 2050, because lithium batteries will be in too high of demand worldwide with no prioritization planning. Full sized battery powered vehicles are currently on a trajectory to be playthings for the rich instead of an actual climate solution Expect microtransit to be tried and used everywhere that mode shift is being done as the exception. But if we want true sustainable mode shift, it will be with electrified trolleys, regional rail, streetcars all using pantograph or 3rd rail. It will definitely not be with someone new trying to make Uberpool and Lyftpool scalable.
If this wasn't sponsored by Via and the two hosts weren't fully invested in microtransit and tech fixes for transit, it could be great. I'll keep listening because I try to consume as much transit info as I can.”Read full review »
karlInSanDiego via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
10/18/22
More reviews of ModeShift
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“Good people doing good work for good reasons, and doing it well.
The production value of this limited series is top-notch. It’s an informative audio essay outlining problems, solutions, and visions for how we move people.”
ゆりかはっと via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
01/28/23
“Love me a good transit Pod and this is a good one.”
Ragnut! via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
09/14/22
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“I learned a lot in each episode.”
H.M. Hall via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
11/05/22
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